Operating systems exist to allow users to run programs and to store and retrieve data (files) from one user session to the next. Within the operating system, special software, called the file system, oversees the storing and retrieval of files to and from disk. When you copy a file, delete a file, or create and move files between folders, the file system is performing the work.
Initially, file systems allowed users to manipulate only local files, which reside on one of the computer’s disk drive. As networks became more prevalent, so too did network operating systems, which allow users and programs to manipulate files residing on a device across the network. Today, several cloud-based file systems are emerging, which allow users and programs to manipulate files residing in the cloud.
